Coupling



F. L. LIPCOTT.

, COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3,19I9.

382,657. v I j PatentedJune 28,1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

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COUPLING.

1,382,657. 1 I pplication filed June 8,

York, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful .Immere .iwGouplings, of which the .ficlalewz s s a specification, reference being bad to the ac.-

' "compsinying drawing, forming a part hereof.

This invention relates to an improved flexible coupling and has for its prmcipal object to associate with a coupling which is old in most respects, a casing therefor which shall exclude oil and foreign substances which are detrimental to the life of th Collb pling. This associated casing is. of such;

form as to constitute a centering device for the'coupling and the shafts connected thereto so that in the assembling of the coupling the shafts; will automatically be properly alined with relation to each other and to the coupling members. Other advantages of'the improved construction will appear in greater detail hereinafter 5.

inv connection with the description of the embodiment shown in the "accompanying drawing, in whichproved coupling on the F igure 1 1s a view in section of the implane indicated by j the line 1 -1 of Fig. 2, portions of the connected shafts being indicated. 3 Fig. 2 is a face view of the coupling with w the associated housing.

tially aplate a,

'Thc flexible coupling comprises essena disk I) of relatively stiff and yielding material, a plurality which the plate a is connected durable but .of bolts 6 by to the disk 6, and a-second plate d which is connected to the disk I) by other bolts 0. The plate a is secured to one shaft section f while the other coupling plate 03 is secured .to the other shaft section 9. Asbest shown in Fig. 2 the plate cl is preferably of substantially triangular outline. The'construction thus far described is one that is well known in the art. The principal object of this invention is to associate with a coupling of the character described a housing which shall serve the purpose of excluding oil and foreign substances from the disk 6 and its associated elements and at the same time perform auseful mechanical function in facilitating the assembling of the coupling with the shaft sections to be connected. In the illustrated embodiment this hous Specification of Letters intent. Patented J 11116 28, 15121.

1919. serial no. 301,404.

is circular and adapted to receive the disk v with a snug slidin fitfora purpose which will appear later. gI'he section 72. 1s provided with o enings k .;in1its end wall to receive thegbe landfengage the coupling. plate a. Between .the platen and the face of the disk I) will c placed a spacing washer a which may be formed with a boss c" adapted to fit snugly in the opening k and provide a shouldered portion on the washer t with relation to the housing section. It. The face of the washer z engages the inner wall of the section 72. and serves to clamp this wall securely between the coupling plate a and the -washer.- The other face of the washer z'may be serrated, as indicated at 2' 'fpr the purpose of insuring amore intimate engagement between the washer and the disk 1), these serras e which pass through the disk 6 i yielding material of the disk when the bolts e are set up tightly. The other section it of the housing is secured to the other coupling member at by ,smeans of a lockjnut 7c, the hub of the plate (1 being adapted to pass through a central opening it formed in the cover section it. This hub of the plate d is shouldered, as at d, and the lock nut 71 servcstc clamp the cover section It between this shoulder and the nut. The shaft section 9 enters the hub of the plate 01 with a loosefit and is keyed thereto as by a spline q, the engagement between the shaft and the plate being such as to permit sufiicient angular movement therebetween through the action of the flexi: ble coupling. On the end of the shaft section 9 may be secured a circular, centering disk Z which is provided with an annular fiange Z adapted to rest snugly within a central opening-b formed in the disk 6.

In assembling the parts described herein the disk I) is first secured to the shaft section 9 by means of the bolts 0 passing through the coupling member at and the disk. In this initial assembling thedisk b is centered on the shaft by means of the centering coupling disk Z; The engagement between the 0011- pling plate (2 and-the disk b, as well as between the heads of bolts 0' on the ends of the bolts 0, may be made more absolute by serrating' those faces of the metal parts which rest against the disk, as indicated been placed in position and the bolts e may then be threaded into the coupling plate va until the disk I; is firmly secured thereto.

The'cover portion k. of the housing is then slipped on orinto the section it and clamped in plac'eby the lock nut is. The housing formed by the two sections it, h. is substantially dustproof and moisture proof and'prevents the exposure of the disk 6 to deteriorating influences, such as oil andother fory eign matter. Further, by reason of the fixed relation of the housing section it to the coupling plate a and the shaft section f and the fixed relation of the disk 6 to the shaft section g, it follows that. when the disk I) is positioned within the housing section It all of the parts of the coupling and the shaft sections themselves are properly centered and alined. This centering facilitates the assembling and disassembling of the coupling. In order to disassemble the coupling the cover plate It is released by the lock nut 72 and moved back on the shaft 9 whereupon the bolts e may be backed'out of the coupling plate at until their ends clear the coupling plate whereupon the entire coupling w1th the shaft 9 may be moved laterally. This facility in disassembling is of special importance where, as might be the case, a driven unit is connected directly to one of the shaft sections 7 and g and it is desirable to remove such unit bodily without disturbing any associated shafting.

' Reference is to be had to the appended claims for a definition nf/the scope of the invention.

I claim as'my invention:

1. In combination with two shafts, a spider secured to each shaft, a flexible coupling member to which-each of said spiders is secured and a closed housing composed of two complementary sections inclosing said flexible coupling member and in which said flexible coupling member has .a snug engagement, one section being carried with each of said spiders.

. 2. In combination with two shafts, a coupling member secured to each shaft, a flexible coupling member to which each of said first named coupling members issecured whereby universal movement between said rings is afforded, a sectional housing inclosing said flexible coupling member, bolts for.

connecting the flexible coupling member with one of said first named coupling members and passing through one of the seetions of the housing, and means carried by the other ofsaid first named coupling members to hold the sections of the housin together.

3. In combination with two shafts, a coupling member secured to each shaft, a flexi- -ble coupling member to which each of said first named coupling members is secured whereby universal movement between saidrmgs 1s afforded, a sectional housing inclosing said flexible coupling member and ineluding a telescoping cover section, bolts for connecting the flexible coupling member with one of saidv first named coupling members and passing through one of the sections of the housing, washers interposed between the flexible. coupling member and'the inner wall of the last named section of the housing, and a lock nut on the hub of the other of said coupling members to maintain the cover section of the housing in proper rela tion to the other section of the housing.

This specification signed this 23rd day of May, A. D. 1919.

FRED L. LIPCOTT. 

